1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer accommodating container which includes a detecting mechanism that detects the amount of powders within an accommodating container for accommodating powders and an image forming apparatus provided with the developer accommodating container.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus having an intermediate transfer belt, a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt and the toner image transferred to the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to a recording material. Then, transfer residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum or the intermediate transfer belt is collected by a cleaning member and is collected in an accommodating container via a conveying path through which the collected toner is conveyed.
When a predetermined amount of toner is accumulated in the accommodating container, it is necessary to replace the accommodating container. In order to facilitate the replacement of the accommodating container, then, it is necessary to prepare a toner detecting apparatus that determines whether the toner reaches a predetermined amount. The invention relative to such toner detecting apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-75749.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-75749, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are provided at one side of a transparent accommodating container and a prism is provided at the other side thereof. Moreover, the invention related to a toner amount detecting apparatus is disclosed which detects whether the toner within the accommodating container reaches a predetermined amount because light of the light emitting element is blocked out in the toner and thus is not detected by the light receiving element.
However, according to the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-75749, although the cost is inexpensive, scattered toner is attached on the surface of an inner wall of the accommodating container at which the prism is installed and, accordingly, there is a possibility to erroneously detect that the toner reaches the predetermined amount before the toner reaches the predetermined amount.